The Boxers, the fresco from Akrotiri in Santorini, shows two youths boxing, perhaps a ritual sport rather than a competitive match. It is one of the best preserved frescoes from Akrotiri on the island of Santorini in Greece. It is handmade of gold-plated 24 carats copper, placed in a wooden frame.
You can also see our collection of frames.
Dimentions:27 cm x 27 cm x 6 cm
All prices include VAT.
All our products are sent in a gift box and are accompanied by a description of the find in Greek and English, and by a guarantee from our workshops.
In antiquity, boxing was mainly a ritual sport and not so much a competitive race as it was considered to be an important part of ancient Greek sports throughout the early classical period, since there was also boxing of children.
The famous fresco of the boxers, decorates the southern room wall on the first floor of the second house at the Akrotiri of Thira on the island of Santorini in Greece. It has a height of 2.75 meters and a width of 0.94 meters.
Two young children are pictured fighting in the fresco. They are likely between 6 and 8 years of age. Both wear a loincloth in the middle. In their right hand they wear boxing gloves and have a shaved head except for two large braids hanging on the back and two smaller ones above the forehead. The excessively large eyes on their faces are feature of modern Aegean frescoes, while the bent legs, especially the boy depicted on the right, lend movement and liveliness to the composition.
The boy on the left side wears a necklace, an armband and an anklet, while the other does not seem to wear anything. This differentiation, which is obviously deliberate, has been interpreted as an indication of a social position. The fresco is likely to portray an initiation ceremony in which the two boys participated. The background of the fresco is white and red, most likely attributing the earth and the sky.
The boxers fresco is currently exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
No posts found
You may also like
